Angry ex-spouses deciding to take their ex-partners card. A wallet in use can cause items to fall out and go unnoticed. Moving and forgetting to do a final check through the old house leaves room for it to slide through the cracks. All could play a factor in security card loss.
While losing your SSC card is easy its not so easy to get it replaced. Identity theft and illegal immigration status poses top reasons the Social Security Card Administration has made it more difficult to obtain. The numbers for a fraudulent SSC card are stolen from living and deceased people. They can be made up numbers previously never used.
Social Security Cards are needed for more then just gainful employment. They insure retirement benefits and allow one to receive welfare aid, food stamps, and unemployment plus a host of other services.
If you lose your Social Security Card you will be asked to fill out an application for a replacement card which is Form SS-5. Next you will be asked to show documents that establish you are who you say you are. Proof of being a US citizen or a non-citizen legally allowed in the US.
It seems simple enough to replace an SSC card, but you will need to show two documents when applying for a replacement card. This is where it can lead to problems. You will need a document with a photo. Most people will show their Drivers License, but not everyone has a Drivers License. As is the case for
DWI’S. The Drivers License is confiscated. If the SSC card has been lost during this time it will be hard to replace it. In order to get an ID card in general you will have to prove your identity. There is a fee for an ID card.
A relative can go to the Social Security Office with one who wishes to replace a lost SSC card in order to vouch for them. It won’t help. A Health or Life Insurance Card, Doctors Records even a Marriage License won’t do any good without a Photo ID. Without a Drivers License or General ID Card it would seem easier to claim yourself an immigrant and apply for citizenship into the US.
Careless people who lose their SSC card too many times will find they won’t be able to get a replacement card period. Even with proper documents a person is allowed Ten SSC cards in a lifetime. This doesn’t include legal name changes and a few other exceptions to the rule. Proof of significant hardship to replace a lost SSC card might get you a replacement card. A DWI might be considered a significant hardship for a replacement card if the person is without a job and needs it to find work. Likewise with someone who desperately needs a government assisted program such as welfare.
The best thing to do with a Social Security Card is to keep it in a fireproof storage box and take it out only when you need to use it.
